Your new experience awaits. Try the new design now and help us make it even better

REVIEW article

Front. Oral Health

Sec. Oral Infections and Microbes

Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/froh.2025.1646382

METABOLIC INTERPLAY OF SCFA'S IN THE GUT AND ORAL MICROBIOME: A LINK

Provisionally accepted
Nireeksha  ShettyNireeksha Shetty1Alexander  Maniangat LukeAlexander Maniangat Luke2*Suchetha  Kumari NSuchetha Kumari N3Mithra  N HegdeMithra N Hegde4Nishmitha  N HegdeNishmitha N Hegde4
  • 1Conservative dentistry and endodontics, Nitte (deemed to be) University, AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, India
  • 2Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, UAE,Center for Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research (CMBAHSR), Ajman University, Ajman, UAE, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
  • 3Director, Research and development, Srinivas University, Mukka, Mangalore, mukka ,Surathkal, India
  • 4AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, India

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), primarily acetate (C2), propionate (C3), and butyrate (C4), are crucial microbial metabolites formed by the fermentation of dietary fibers by gut microbiota in the colon. These SCFAs, characterized by fewer than six carbon atoms, serve as an essential energy source for colonic epithelial cells and contribute approximately 10% of the body's total energy requirement. They are central to maintaining gut health through multiple mechanisms, including reinforcing intestinal barrier function, exerting anti-inflammatory effects, regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, and influencing host immune responses. Butyrate, in particular, plays a pivotal role in protecting the gut mucosa and modulating inflammatory processes. Beyond their intestinal functions, SCFAs affect systemic metabolic outcomes such as body weight regulation and appetite control by modulating the secretion of gut hormones and interacting with G-protein coupled receptors. Despite strong experimental evidence, mainly from animal models, clinical applications of SCFA modulation remain in preliminary stages, with limited translational findings in human therapeutics.In parallel, the oral microbiome also produces SCFAs, such as propionic, butyric, isobutyric, and isovaleric acids, as metabolic by-products in biofilm ecosystems like dental plaque. These acids contribute to interspecies communication, "cross-feeding" dynamics, and possibly biofilm stability or pathogenicity, especially in caries and periodontal disease.SCFAs in the oral cavity may act as signaling molecules or competitive factors, modulating microbial behavior and ecological balance within the oral niche. Collectively, these insights highlight SCFAs as integral to host-microbiota interactions, both in the gut and oral environments, with potential implications for targeted microbiome-based therapies in health and disease.

Keywords: Short Chain Fatty Acids, oral microbiome, Dental Caries, Periodontal health, Inflammation

Received: 13 Jun 2025; Accepted: 05 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Shetty, Maniangat Luke, Kumari N, Hegde and Hegde. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Alexander Maniangat Luke, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, UAE,Center for Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research (CMBAHSR), Ajman University, Ajman, UAE, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.